ABOVE-GROUND CARBON STOCK ASSESSMENT OF SHAKARPARIAN PARK AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF ITS CARBON BASE MAP

Abstract

Forests function as carbon sinks by absorbing the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, to carry out the process of photosynthesis, and converting it into biomass. Carbon stored in the world’s forest ecosystem is carbon-stock, it is largely in living biomass and soil, also in dead wood and litter but to a lesser extent. The objective of this study was to calculate the above-ground carbon-stock in Shakarparian. Altogether, 30 circular plots, each covering an area of 1/20th of a hectare, were laid out systematically in Shakarparian to carry out the forest inventory. Total above-ground biomass was estimated using allometric equations. Results indicated that Shakarparian has a total above-ground biomass of 2731 in tons of Carbon and a total basal area of 1240 m2. It was also determined that Shakarparian Park, as of 2017, has a total tree population of 20,727 trees and a mean above-ground biomass of 2.64 tC/ha. Using imagery from the satellite Sentinel-02, a Land-Cover map for Shakarparian was also constructed in accordance with the six Land-Cover classes specified by IPCC, using ArcGIS. The NDVI values for Shakarparian were also determined, having a range of -0.01 to 0.64.